The potential for war with Iran is being hotly debated, in light of the new report about that countrys alleged nuclear arsenal.

The regime in Iran poses a significant threat to regional and global peace, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird told reporters, responding to the release of the International Atomic Energy Agency report. The report, released Wednesday, laid out the most details yet of Irans alleged effort to build a nuclear arsenal.

But there has been some questioning the sources of that report.

And now, some lawmakers in the U.S. are suggesting that Iran might have some ideas on what to do with those nuclear weapons (if they do indeed have them).

They claim that Irans military and Revolutionary Guard are practicing for the detonation of a nuclear weapon near space, the ultimate goal being an Electromagnetic Pulse attack on the U.S.

Republican Representative Trent Franks says Iran is practicing launching a ballistic missile from a vessel in the Caspian Sea and they also have tested high-altitude explosions with their Shahab-111 missile.

Terrorists think that electromagnetic pulse or some type of attack is their ultimate asymmetric weapon, he told Aviation Week recently. Irans (actions) clarify that jihadist nations intent for the U.S. and Israel.

But how real is the threat from Iran? That is unclear.

If Iran had the bomb, would it use it on an attack against the U.S., as that would likely mean the destruction of Iran in a retaliatory strike?

Whatever the case, in Ottawa, the Harper government has been talking a hard line. Canada is deeply disturbed by the actions of the current Iranian regime, Baird said. The information presented in the report is only the latest of a series of grave concerns our government has with the regime.

Canada will continue to work with its like-minded allies to take the necessary action for Iran to abandon its nuclear program, Baird said. We encourage others to join in this effort. It is not a question of if, but to what extent, we will act in response to this report.

you really think the US would actually use nukes on a city, even tehran, on a strike basis? i dont. ..................................... An EMP attack will generate a huge, mega letter of reprimand from our Leader. He’ll teach them.

6
posted on 11/13/2011 10:29:20 AM PST
by Bringbackthedraft
(Its not who we elect, its those who they appoint that mater most!.)

I think it has been proven, on this site, that an EMP attack isn’t really feasible. To be effecitive it has to be low, and being low makes it’s results limited. A strategic use, over the Pentagon, is another matter.

EMP is not that successful a weapon. You’d have to detonate a fairly high power bomb hundreds of kilometers above the surface to cover the continent. If you have that powerful a bomb, you might as well drop it on New York or Washington. The Air Force and Navy know how to secure gear against EMP, and we’d have lots of warning.

An EMP at the correct altitude detroys most of the CONUS infrastructure, including electrical generation, electrical transmission, all modern vehicles, as well as burning out everything connected to the grid. The fires caused by that alone will cripple us. A lot of military hardware is EMP hardened but not all of it.

“you really think the US would actually use nukes on a city, even tehran, on a strike basis? i dont.”

Nor do I. The United States Caliph in Chief has already ruled out even a retaliatory strike, thus inviting such an attack. In that event, he may go the way of Caligula though, who was murdered by his own Praetorian Guard. Not that it will help us much though, as we sit in the dark boiling rat bones for stock.

How many people would die in the ensuing chaos after an EMP attack? Lots. Law and order would break down. No telling how even solid citizens would behave once they (or their kids) got hungry. And it would take years for our infrastructure to recover. Wouldn’t surprise me if we lost greater than 20% of our population even without nukes.

Its the "nine meal rule". Could be three days, could be five. But most of America does not have more than nine meals, following that scraps and finally looting and scavenging. Want to reduce the time to start social decline early? Cut power.

To be honest, I'm not so worried about the cold where I live (it will suck, but we can survive). What I worry about is no power and trying to keep food safe in the summer.

It hasn’t been disproven at all. In order for an EMP to be effective it has to be very high altitude not low altitude. It’s the cascade effect that make it so powerful. Think of it as an electric avalanche via Compton Scattering.

>>>you really think the US would actually use nukes on a city, even tehran, on a strike basis? i dont.<<<

I’m with you, at least with the current bunch running things. I really think the American side would apologize to Iran, declare martial law, and get about with the business of redistributing things for the recreated country. At least they would try.... and that would have unpredictable consequences.

EMP is not that successful a weapon. Youd have to detonate a fairly high power bomb hundreds of kilometers above the surface to cover the continent. If you have that powerful a bomb, you might as well drop it on New York or Washington. The Air Force and Navy know how to secure gear against EMP, and wed have lots of warning.

All you need is a small fission device: it is the gamma ray flux which causes Compton scattering (electrons knocked out of the atoms / molecules in the upper atmosphere) which travel at relativistic speeds, and interact with the Earth's magnetic field.

The design of the bomb, and the casing, can enhance the proportion of the weapon's energy which is released as gamma radiation: and by designing the case properly one can focus the gamma rays "downward" to the ground.

A fission weapon, according to these sources, will still be quite a good source of EMP: it is not directly a function of notional yield.

Cheers!

36
posted on 11/13/2011 12:16:20 PM PST
by grey_whiskers
(The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)

People that don't take EMPs seriously don't know enough about them. And people who don't know enough about EMPs (that's at least 75% of the population) should read this very believable fiction book, "One Second After." You'll think twice the next time you go to the grocery store.

Forward by none other than Newt Gingrich. The afterward is even more frightening. It should be a "must read" by anyone and everyone.

Excerpt: However, the effects produced by a nuclear explosion were not fully realized until the Johnston Island Test in 1962. This nuclear blast had a yield of 1.4 megatons at an altitude of 250 miles. The explosion damaged a number of low earth orbit satellites and caused malfunctions and early failure of others. Another effect that was noted during the blast was a blackout up to 600 miles away of high frequency radio communications that lasted for hours. It was caused by disruption of the ionosphere. It also popped circuit breakers, street lights went out, burglar alarms rang, and power lines went down in Honolulu, about 800 miles away. In Nov. 1962, all above ground testing was halted and our testing and analysis was limited to underground testing, analysis of the existing atmospheric test data, nonnuclear simulation, and theoretical calculations.

An EMP 250 miles high over Chicago will take out the electrical grid for the entire USA. Damage to the huge step up and step down transformers could NOT be repaired.

75 to 90% death rate in USA. See 2008 EMP Commission Report to Congress. Chairman Graham personlly estimates a 80% death rate nation wide but almost 100% East of the Mississippi.

Then, from time to time, a few of our coastal cities will be nuked by bad people using the Club K container missile system that launches 4 250 mile cruise missiles from the deck of a ship, a truck or rail car.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIgvGpH2smY

Our mentality is like the old west, the bad guy shoots first then the good guy takes him out. But this time Matt Dillon faces cannon so big that it takes him out along with all of Dodge City. The good guys just die. The USA will be history.

See Shieldact.com

Iran’s Space Program is building to put multiple satellites at 250 plus miles above Earth. If they succeed they will take out the USA and Europe in hopes that world conflagration will bring about the coming of the 12th Imam. Meaning, THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT RETALIATION. MUTUAL ASSURED DESTRUCTION DOES NOT WORK WITH RELIGIOUS FANATICS.

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